Holder for palm



L. DONALD HOLDER FOR PALM Jan. 17, 1939.

Filed Feb. 3, 19:57

' |N VENT R AT ORNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNlTED sra'rss HOLDER FOR PALM Louis Donald, Newark, N. J., assignor of onehalf to Thomas J. Eermingham, Newark, N. J.

Application February 3, 1937, Serial No. 123,798

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a holder primarily designed to effectively display and protect crosses formed from blessed palm strips.

In certain religious faiths one of the rites is the decoration of graves with blessed palms on Palm Sunday, of each year. Anything used in the ceremonies of the church is previously blessed. Palm strips are used in the Palm Sunday ceremonies. Hence, they are previously blessed. The blessed palm is also cut into small strips which are worn as crosses and are displayed in the homes as crosses.

It has been customary, in decorating graves, to secure the palm strips together by a pin or the like to form a cross. The cross was positioned in the ground at the grave by resorting to various makeshift expedients. For example, frequently a small mound of earth is built up and the palm cross is stuck in the mound and bolstered up with any loose stones that may be found in the vicinity.

It is desirable that the palm cross last for a full year-from Palm Sunday of one year'to Palm Sunday of the following year. The palm, when 5 exposed to the elements, soon becomes distorted, discolored and shabby, and frequently becomes broken. The blessed palm is a sacramental; if it becomes mutilated in any manner it should be burned up, pursuant to a religious rule. Hence,

30 the palm cross in many cases does not decothe palm to be displayed in a neat manner, with ample protection from the elements.

A further object of my invention is to provide 40 a holder for palm strips, the holder having the outline of a cross and being adapted to receive blessed palm strips inserted therein to form a cross visible through and protected by the holder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a holder made of transparent material and adapted to hold the palm strips inserted therein permanently in correct position to form a cross visible through and protected by the holder. These and other advantageous objects, which 50 will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, and in which: 55 Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a holder embodying my invention shown positioned in the ground and displaying a. palm cross,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the holder showing the manner in which the palm strips are inserted therein, 5

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 showing details of my invention, and showing a tab in dotted lines,

Fig. 4 is a similar-view, showing the tab folded over and closing the open end shown in Fig. 3, 10

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a holder embodying my invention, the holder being provided with a button for securing the same to an article of clothing,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank from which 15 the holder of my invention may be made, and

Fig. 7 is a view of a holder made from the blank shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, in Fig. 1 a palm cross i is shown in a holder 2 of my invention, 20 the holder 2 having a pointed end 3 positioned in the earth 4.

The holder 2 is preferably made of Celluloid, Cellophane, isinglass, glass, or of any other transparent or other suitable material, and, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, may comprise a pair of cross-shaped strips 5 marginally secured together by cementing, or in any other desired or convenient manner, to marginally seal the holder except at one longitudinal end 6 and at one transverse end i, as indicated in dotted lines.

The ends 8 and l are left open for the insertion of palm strips 8 longitudinally and transversely in the holder, to form a palm cross I visible through and. protected by the holder as shown in Fig. 1. If desired, the holder may be provided with tabs 9 foldable over the ends 6 and l to completely seal the same, as shown in Fig. 4.

The pointed end 3 enables the holder to be easily and neatly positioned in the earth 4 as shown in Fig. 1. However, where the palm cross is to be worn on the person or displayed in the home, the pointed end 3 is dispensed with and the holder is provided with a button ID or other 5 means for that purpose, as shown in Fig. 5.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown another form in which the holder may be made. In this-form, the holder is made from a blank I l comprising a pair of cross-shaped strips l2-l3 having a connecting portion l4 and foldable at Hi. When the blank is folded at [5, the cross-shaped strips l2 and I3 may be marginally secured together in the same manner as has been described in connection with Figs 1 and 2. The strip I3 may be extended at l6 and [1; the extended portions correspond to the tabs 9 described in connection with Figs. 3 and 4, being foldable, as shown in Fig. 7, to completely seal the holder.

In some instances it may be desirable to insert a material other than palm in the holder 2. Furthermore, in certain sections of the world, parts of other plants are used instead of palm, in the religious ceremonies. The holder 2 of my invention is obviously adapted for all such uses.

Therefore, the term palm wherever used in this specification and in the claims hereof shall be deemed to also include any other material for insertion in the holder 2.

While I have shown the preferred construction which answers the requirements very effectively, I do not desire to be confined to the precise details either of construction or arrangement, or mode of application, but aim' in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a holder made of transparent material and provided with openings for the insertion of palm strips longitudinally and transversely therein to form a palm cross visible through and protected by the holder.

2. A device of the character described comprising a holder made of transparent material and provided with openings for the insertion of palm strips longitudinally and transversely therein to form a palm cross visible through and protected by the holder, said holder being pro-- vided with means for securing the same to an object.

3. A device of the character described comprising a holder made of transparent material, said holder being open at a transverse end and at a longitudinal end to enable the insertion of palm strips to form a palm cross visible through and protected by the holder.

4. A device of the, character described comprising a holder made of transparent material, said holder being open at a transverse end and at a longitudinal end to enable the insertion of palm strips to form a palm cross visible through and protected by the holder, said holder being provided with means for securing the same to an object.

5. A device of the character described comprising a holder made of transparent material and having openings for the insertion of palm strips longitudinally and transversely therein to form a palm cross Within the holder, said holder being provided with tabs foldable over said openings to seal the same.

6. A device of the character described comprising a flat blank of flexible material having the outline of two connected crosses foldable one over the other and adapted to be secured together in that position to provide a holder for palm strips.

'7. A device of the character described comprising a transparent cross-shaped holder provided with openings for the insertion of palm strips longitudinally and transversely therein to form a palm cross. visible through and protected by the holder.

8. A device of the character described comprising a cross-shaped holder made from a single blank of suitable material, provided with openings for the insertion of palm strips longitudinally and transversely therein to form a palm cross visible through and protected by the holder.

9. A device of the character described comprising a holder made of transparent material, said holder being open at a transverse end and at a longitudinal end to enable the insertion of palm strips to form a palm cross visible through and protected by the holder, said holder having the outline of a cross and being provided with a pointed end to enable the holder to be positioned in the earth.

10. A device of the character described comprising a hollow body member having the outline of crossed arms of transparent material, having openings to receive and display palm strips in crossed relation.

11. A device of the character described comprising a bodymembermade of transparent material and having arms at right angles to each other to represent a cross, said arms being hollow and having openings for the insertion of palm strips therein.

12. A device of the character described comprising a body member made of transparent material and having arms at right angles to each other to rep-resent a cross, said arms being hollow and having openings for the insertion of palm strips therein, and means carried by said device for securing the same to an object.

LOUIS DONALD. 

